The same gas used to blow up balloons could be mined from the Moon's surface and transported to Earth to meet future energy demands, say U.S. scientists.

Mineral samples from the Moon contained abundant quantities of helium-3, a non-radioactive, light variant of helium used in lasers and refrigerators as well as to blow up balloons. Helium-3 is rare on Earth but exists in vast quantities on the Moon.

The scientists said the technology to use lunar helium-3 to create electricity in fusion reactions could be ready in 30 years.

"When compared to the Earth the Moon has a tremendous amount of helium-3," said Taylor.

He said 25 tonnes of helium, which could be transported on a space shuttle, would be enough to provide the U.S. with electricity for one year.

Some 200 million tonnes of lunar soil would produce one tonne of helium, Taylor said. The Earth has just 10 kilograms of helium.

But Taylor said the reactor technology for converting helium-3 to energy was still in its infancy and could take years to develop.

"The problem is that there is not yet an efficient type of reactor to process helium-3. It is currently being done mostly as a laboratory experiment. Right now at the rate which [research] is proceeding it will take another 30 years," he said.

Helium-3 is deposited on the lunar surface by solar winds and would have to be extracted from moon soil and rocks by heating them above 800°C.

Taylor said in the U.S. there were currently no funds available for non-petroleum energy projects.

But he warned that by 2050 fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas could be exhausted.

"Right now we are not thinking ahead enough.

"If we set our hearts on the Moon and have the money to do it, then we [could] do it pretty fast. However, it could be done well within 10 years if the sources of finance are generated to get this [reactor] going," he said.

Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam told the conference the Moon contains 10 times more energy in the form of helium-3 than all the fossil fuels on Earth.

Other scientists said a helium-3 reactor would be safe in terms of radioactive elements and could be built right in the heart of any city.

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